Expressing obligation in Hebrew - part 1
11 November 2018
This is a translation of an article by Mark Delta, writer and language teacher.
Modal verbs – i. e. verbs expressing possibility, permission, obligation or likelihood (such as can, should, must or ought to), as well as desire, intention and other attitudes to actions – are rarely a problem for us in our first language, as we are used to them since our early childhood. But in a new language, they may cause issues because of their language-specific subtleties, as well as the fact that almost all of these verbs have multiple meanings.
For example, the English sentence "he must go to the store" may express an order ("go to the store!") or an obligation, much like "he should go to the store". However, "he must have gone to the store" is an assumption: looks like he has gone to the store. In the same time, "he mustn't go to the store" is not a negation of the obligation (that would be "he doesn't have to go to the store"), but a prohibition: he must stay at home.
Also, compare the following: "I didn't need to go there" is just a statement that someone had no obligation to go. However, "I shouldn't have gone there" expresses regret: it would be better if I didn't go there.
So, this is an article about modal verbs and auxiliary words that express obligation. How does one say "must", "should", "has to", "obliged to" in Hebrew? Below is the list of words, usage cases and explanations.
ani tzarich lalechet la-chanut means "I must go to the store". The reasons can be different: I decided, I planned, I was forced; with the words tzarich ( tzricha, tzrichim, tzrichot) it does not matter.
The word tzarich does not assume an obligation: the phrase above can mean "I need to go to the store (just because I decided to)".
In the past tense, we would say: . In the future tense: , or etztarech lalechet la-chanut. In this case, the verb lehitztarech works as a kind of future tense for the word .
In its second meaning, means "to be forced, to have to" (bound by external circumstances): - "I'll have to go to the store". In this meaning, the verb can be used not only in the future tenses, but in all tenses: hitztarachti lalechet la-chanut - "I had to go to the store".
When used in the present tense, this verb conveys a periodic, habitual or regular need, rather than a momentary obligation: "I have to go to the store" (from time to time, on a regular, repeated basis).
In its third meaning, is used with a direct object (that is, without a preposition or with the preposition et – even though it is uncommon for hitpa'el verbs), or (less often) with the preposition le-, and means "to need need something or someone": eztarech et hа-sеfer hа-zе - "I will need this book." The same phrase can be also used in the past tense.
The word zakuk (ל־) "in need (of)" is used with the same meaning:
The verb lehizdakek with the same root can be used instead, also with the preposition le-:
But let’s return to . The same word can be used in impersonal sentences – when the subject is not explicit or even not implied. Such sentences are uncommon in English, but are common in other languages, for example, Russian: "нужно пойти в магазин" or French: "il faut aller au magazin", roughly translated into English as "there is a need to go to the store". In Hebrew, one would say:
tzarich, tzrichim, yesh tzorech. the last expression means literally "there is a need" ( ~ צורך tzorech). In other tenses:
The word tzarich is also used with nouns when something is needed or required. While להזדקק and זקוק are used with the preposition , a direct object is used after :
– "I need this dictionary".
- "he needs (needed, will need) this book."
From the roots ז-ק-ק and צ-ר-ך some more words are formed:
~ להיזקק lehizakek, nizkak (ле-) "to need (something), to be in need"
~ להיצרך lehitzarech, nitzrach – 1) "to be consumed" (passive voice of "to consume"), 2) "to need (something)" (lehitzarech le-).
lehatzrich – "to demand (someone to do something), to put someone in dependence on something".
(from Birkat hа-mazon, the blessing after meal): "please do not make us dependent upon the gifts of mortal men nor upon their loans".
Note, however, that is rarely used in modern language, even in written texts.
- *3.3.3.
The words darush and nachutz express approximately the same idea as , but they take the thing that is needed as subject (rather than the person who needs the thing). They also convey a slightly stronger grade of necessity:
– ha-sefer ha-ze darush li: "this book is necessary (required) for me". The word is also used in job announcements: "drivers wanted";
– ha-sefer ha-ze nachutz li "this book is necessary (strongly necessary) for me";
– ha-sefer ha-ze hechrechi li "this book is necessary for me; I can't do without it".
The word hechrechi "necessary" is more often used in negative sentences:
– – "this book is not necessary" (in the given situation).
– – "it's not necessary to go to the store".
An even stronger grade of necessity can be expressed by the word chiyuni "vital, of vital importance":
– – "This book is of vital importance. We really must go to the store to buy it!"
is related to the words chay "alive" and chayim "life". Note also that the sentence above features the word ~ חייב chayav "must, obliged, required to", but we will discuss it later.
The word darush "wanted, required" is the passive participle of the verb ~ לדרוש lidrosh "to require". Of course, this verb can also be used to express obligation. and ~ להידרש lehidaresh "to be required" – a pa'al verb and a nif`al verb of the same root – give us the following tools to express necessity:
- – "I was required (summoned by requirement) to come to the department manager". More often, ~ זומנתי zumanti = is used, however.
In public announcements, the following language is often used:
- ha-ovrim ve-shavim nidrashim lefanot et ha-kvish – "Passers-by must free the roadway".
Sometimes such formal requirements or appeals are expressed through requests rather than demands:
hа-nehagim mitbakshim lehizaher mipnei hаchlaka, lit. "Drivers are being asked to beware of black ice".
The verb ~ להיאלץ lehe'aletz indicates a need for doing something forced by either by circumstances or (more often) by people: ne 'elatzti, ani ne'elatz, e'aletz. It can also be translated “I have to”.
The related word for "to force, to compel, to coerce" () is a pi'el verb – somewhat confusingly, as one would expect a pa'al counterpart to the nif'al verb .
The corresponding verbal noun, "coercion", is ~ אילוץ ilutz. Often, this word is used in the plural with the meaning "constraints". – "I can't go to the store tomorrow: I’m too busy" ("there are too many constraints").
Another verb with the meaning "to force, to coerce" is !(word-3.3.quote לְהַכְרִיחַ INF-L), of binyan hif'il, and has a passive counterpart ~ הוכרח huchrach "was forced, compelled", of binyan huf'al.
- , , – "I had to, I have to, I will have to".
The root , on which the verbs and are constructed is found in the noun ~ כורח korach, meaning necessity or compulsion, and which is used mostly in literature and press. For example:
bе-аl korchо – "He did it reluctantly."
(Note that in this sentence is not the noun ba'al – "owner, holder, husband", but a combination of two prepositions: be- and al.)
The action noun for lehachriach is hechreach "necessity, need". Some expressions with this word are min ha-hechreach "out of necessity" (although this one is mostly used in the literary langauge) and be-hechrach "necessarily". Note the pronunciation - even though it's hechreach according to the rules, the variant hechrach|* is almost always used in speech. Note also that these expressions do not necessarily indicate an obligation to someone - they rather indicate logical necessity, like "definitely" and "certainly".
Below are some more examples of how to express in Hebrew the meaning conveyed by the words "necessarily" or "definitely".
"His promises are not necessarily indicating (his) intention."
*!.דבריו אינם בהכרח כרוכים בכוונות
(this one is more colloquial)
"Your proposal will definitely bring success".
(be-hechrechiyut - necessarily, in certainty)
"I should definitely go to the store".
3.3.3.
The expression vihi-ma "be as it may", "whatever happens" is literary, but sometimes occurs in speech.
Stay tuned for the second part of the article.
See also
Expressing obligation in Hebrew - part 2